Collapsible Absinthe Cup 160ml, Stainless Steel, with Pouch

For anyone who serves absinthe outside the usual setting, and for anyone who drinks it while travelling. It is an enthusiast’s object before it is a station tool: it folds shut, it travels on you and it stands in for a glass where a glass cannot be carried, from gatherings to trade fairs to tastings off site.

Because absinthe is not drunk neat. The traditional service calls for one measure of spirit and three to five parts of cold water poured slowly, which is what sets off the milky louche the ritual is known for. A 30ml measure with four parts water comes to 150ml: the collapsible absinthe cup is sized exactly on that ratio, and it is not the accidental capacity of a beaker.

• Capacity: 160ml
• Height: 7cm
• Material: stainless steel
• Closure: collapsible
• Supplied with: pouch to clip to a belt

Steel and absinthe

Stainless steel gives no flavour and does not react with high strength alcohol, which in absinthe often passes fifty per cent. It is also the material that survives travel: an absinthe glass in glass, with its stem and its reservoir bulb, is among the most fragile pieces of any glassware, and carrying one around is not on the table.

What you give up

There is one thing a metal cup takes away, and it should be said: the louche of absinthe is a visual event, and in an opaque vessel you do not see it. A bar serving absinthe across the counter to show that moment will use a clear glass; the collapsible absinthe cup is for the other occasions, when what counts is being able to close it and carry it away.

Choose the collapsible absinthe cup if

Absinthe genuinely interests you, you are looking for a present for an enthusiast, or you travel to fairs and tastings. It is not a station tool and it replaces nothing in the working set: it is its own object, and it should be chosen knowing what it does.

Care

Rinse and dry, with attention to the seal on the closure where there is one: that is the part that holds odours and, left damp for long, passes them to the next drink. Stainless steel asks for nothing else and is untroubled by high strength alcohol.

The ritual, in short

Pour the measure of spirit, rest the slotted spoon with the sugar cube on top and let cold water fall very slowly until you reach the ratio you want. The water brings the essential oils of anise out of solution, dissolved as they are in pure alcohol and not in water: that is the louche. It is not stagecraft, it is how that spirit is drunk, and it is also why a 160ml vessel is needed for a 30ml measure.

Why a dedicated cup exists

Because absinthe is drunk at a very high water ratio, and the vessel has to hold four or five times the measure. A normal spirits glass, sized for 30 or 40ml, does not do it: you end up filling to the brim and mixing with the water becomes impossible. It is the same reason the traditional glass has the bulb low down, which marks the measure before the rest goes in.

FAQ

How much does the collapsible absinthe cup hold? One hundred and sixty millilitres, at 7cm tall.

Can it be carried when travelling? Yes, it folds shut and comes with a pouch that clips to a belt.

What material is it? Stainless steel, which gives no flavour and handles high strength alcohol.

Does it work for service across the bar? For the water ritual a clear glass is better: the louche is something you watch.

Is it a measure? No, it is a tasting cup: it sits in this category but it does not measure.

The more you buy, the less you pay: 4 pieces -5%, 6 -7%, 8 -10%, on the same item.

Dispatched from Rome, Italy. 15-day returns, free of charge. Questions before you order? Message us on WhatsApp on +39 351 929 6937.

The glasses and the rest of the service are in the absinthe accessories category.